This game is full, but your adventure's just beginning!
This game filled up fast! But the good news? There are so many more games you can check out. Let's find your next adventure!
The Robot Apocalypse is Upon Us!
You are a new member of the elite Lazlo Expeditionary Force (LEF). An unusual metal monster attack demands your presence. Time to be a hero!
Free
Details
Weekly / Sunday - 12:30 AM UTC
Dec 14 / Session 21
Session Duration / 3–4 hours
Campaign Length / 10–50 Sessions
5 / 5 Seats Filled
Report Adventure
StartPlaying Money Back Guarantee
If your game doesn't happen, we guarantee a refund. Just reach out to StartPlaying Support. Refund Policy
Schedule
Meet your party members
5/5
About the adventure
Have you ever wanted to know what it looks like for dragons, wizards, and cyborgs to fight against Cthonic horrors while robots threaten to take over the world? If so then this game is for you. Shadows of the Machine God is a Savage Rifts tale about what happens when robots gain a little too much power. In this game you will get to explore a post-apocalyptic world with magic, monsters, and most importantly, robots! There are themes of horror and survival as well as the potential consequences of artificial intelligence. In Savage Rifts, you can play as a spellcaster, a psychic, a dragon, a cyborg, and so much more! You can select one of the premade races or build your own. You can select from Iconic Frameworks such as the Juicer, the Ley Line Walker, Combat 'Borg, Dragon Hatchling, or build your own custom character with abilities you select for yourself. The world of Savage Rifts is one where truly anything is possible. This game will feature mysteries, roleplaying, problem-solving, quick narrative combat, tactical combat, and even a mass battle or two. All the rules can be learned as you go, and the basic mechanics of the game system are easy to learn. You will need two books to play the game (Savage Worlds Adventurer Edition and Savage Rifts Tomorrow Legion Players Guide Adventurer Edition), however I will share my library on Roll20 with all players so you will have quick access to search these books using the Roll20 compendium. If you'd like help building a character, I can provide advice or even suggest optimal choices for the type of character you want to build. Game time will be Saturdays at 6:30 pm Chicago time (USA Central). We will skip one Saturday each month negotiated by the group. I would like a minimum commitment of 10 sessions; this will get the heroes from Novice (0) to Seasoned (4). If everyone is enjoying themselves, then I have a long-term campaign planned which will take us to about 50 sessions total (a little over a year); this will take the PCs all the way up to Legendary (20). Some mature 18+ themes will be present. I do not allow romance between Player Characters. Trigger warnings include racial prejudice, horror, slavery, and fascism. 🏳️🌈 friendly and inclusive.
Game style
Rules as Written (RaW)
Sandbox / Open World
Roleplay Heavy
Dungeon Crawl
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(8)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Creativity, Sets the Mood, Storytelling
About me
One of the biggest mistakes I ever made as a GM was saying "no" when a player asked me if they could play a half-dragon. At the time, I was a young GM and didn't think I could have balanced the game and worried that the other players would think I was favoring the player. I have since learned that a better approach is ask my players what kind of game and characters they want to play and building the game around that. In my free time I like to read the latest X-Men comics, Palladium and Savage Worlds books, and fantasy novels. I really like vampire stories. I'm also a huge astronomy and physics geek currently trying to puzzle my way through special relativity and its ramifications for FTL communication. I am also the host of Ley Lines and Lore, a podcast that's all about Rifts the RPG.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Character creation will happen during Session Zero. Character sheets will be maintained on Roll20. All Savage Rifts published books are available for use. If you would like to "savage" your favorite Rifts ideas, then I will work with you to help you customize the concept using an existing Iconic Framework as a template or using the MARS Personal Concept. All players will begin at Novice Rank (0). Characters must be of sufficient sound judgment and moral fiber to be selected for an elite force of heroes.
I'm looking for heroes for this game. I don't like to force players to pick classes, but I do recommend a group with at least one Arcane Background (Magic), at least one with Arcane Background (Psionics), at least one character who can scout and skirmish (like a Juicer or a Crazy), and at least one MDC armored character who can take a lot of punishment (like an RPA Pilot or Glitter Boy). Some of these roles can overlap. Current party: Human Cyber Knight Sasquatch Wilderness Scout Altara Cyber Knight Characters on hiatus: Intelligent Construct with Arcane Background (Magic) Elf Vagabond
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Please fill out this application so I can judge if I think you will be a good fit. If I believe so, you will be invited to the campaign and receive Discord and Roll20 links. https://form.jotform.com/251446447721155 You will need a laptop or desktop computer, a Discord account, Roll20 account, a reliable mic, and a mobile phone with Discord in case something happens to your computer during the game. Reading the Savage Worlds Adventurer Edition and Savage Rifts Tomorrow Legion Player's Guide Adventurer Edition using a legal pdf and pdf reader is recommended, but not required. These rule books will be shared with you via the Roll20 compendium.
What Josh brings to the table
I fully voice all of my characters and often give them accents to distinguish them from each other. I play ambient music through Roll20, but you can adjust the volume within Roll20 to your preferred level (even 0). Many encounters will be cinematic and quickly narrated with a single die roll from each player to guide narration. More deadly encounters will be played out on a tactical battle map on Roll20 with dynamic lighting engaged.
Homebrew rules
I do not use any house rules except those we negotiate as a group and the standard Setting Rules for Savage Rifts. We will discuss during Session Zero how players want to handle character death (and possible resurrection). We may decide death is not for heroes, or we may decide we want a gritty game where permanent death is a possibility. I will honor the player decision in this regard.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Mobile Phone
Platforms used
Safety
How Josh creates a safe table
We will go over a Bob World Builder's Ultimate Session 0 checklist at the beginning to discuss hard and soft limits (lines and veils), as well as expectations for PVP, punctuality, attendance, and immersion. I have X N and O safety cards you can quickly click and place on the digital tabletop. We will have aftercare to talk through the events of the game session afterwards.
Content warnings
Safety tools used